Have you ever wanted to know a comprehensive evaluation of abdominal symptoms? These include pain, bloating, and constipation/diarrhea. Chronic Function Abdominal Pain can signify many disorders, like tissue damage and inflammation or dysfunction in the gut muscles.
Chronic Function Abdominal Pain
If the pain lingers without visible abnormalities in the digestive tract, it is Chronic Function Abdominal Pain. Chronic Function Abdominal Pain is a functional gastrointestinal disorder, usually chronic or recurring with intense pain.
The patient feels under the weather, and the abdominal pain often occurs with uncomfortable symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome with frequent abnormal bowel movements like diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating.
Chronic Function Abdominal pain is persistently present for over three years or may reoccur in these three months. It usually occurs in children after five years, and it is more common among girls. Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain is also present among adults affecting more women than men.
Knowing the cause of Chronic Function Abdominal Pain is not a piece of cake as people with the pain may also have other symptoms depending on the grounds. So hold on and learn more about the disease’s symptoms and treatment.
Can Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain be cured?
Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain can be cured significantly with the help of treatment. However, some patients continue to experience residual symptoms as well. Therefore, the key is not to find a single solution or cure to the problem but to find a set of tools or strategies that are the most effective for each individual.
What Causes Chronic Function Abdominal Pain?
The cause of Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain is complex. The reasons may include environmental, genetic, and behavioral factors. People suffering from Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain have an alteration in the gut-brain axis, and the nervous system regulates the pain signals to the gastrointestinal tract.
Small stimuli by the disturbance of the intestines lead to severe pain, known as central hypersensitivity. Repeated injury to the abdominal area can cause Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain as it over-sensitizes the nerve receptors in the targeted area.
In effect, once mild or even unnoticeable, normal bowel sensations are perceived as intense and painful.
People with multiple abdominal surgeries, recurrent infections, or sexual abuse can be more likely to be affected by this condition. In addition, people experience Functional Pain more intensely when they are under mental stress.
Symptoms of Chronic Function Abdominal Pain
The basic and primary symptom of Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain is abdominal pain. The pain can be very severe and significantly impact a patient’s quality of life. Their average daily life gets disturbed, and their financial well-being also gets a concern following the increased stress level.
Sometimes the patient does not have symptoms of gastrointestinal pain like constipation or diarrhea, so it becomes challenging to know the cause of the pain.
It is a functional problem as the pain is associated with the changed sensitivity in the nerve impulse between the gut and the brain.
Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain worsens after significant incidents like infection, traumatic life events, or some stress.
Common Physical Causes
Many physical disorders can cause chronic function abdominal pain. These causes vary by age. In Children, the common causes are:
- Constipation
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Lactose intolerance
- Stress or child abuse
In Young Adults, the most common causes include:
- Gallbladder disorders, like cholecystitis
- Parasitic infections, such as giardiasis
- Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Liver disorders, such as hepatitis
- Stomach irritation
- Indigestion or dyspepsia
In older people, cancer of the stomach, pancreas, colon, or ovarian becomes quite popular.
The doctors first try to determine whether the pain is functional or is caused by a disorder, a gut, or a toxin. The following are the warning signs and are a cause for concern:
- Loss of weight and appetite
- Having fever
- Pain that keeps the patient awake during the night
- Bloody vomit, stool, or urine
- Severe vomiting or diarrhea
- Jaundice
- Swelling of the abdomen or legs
- Difficulty in swallowing
When to Consult a Doctor?
If the chronic function abdominal pain develops warning signs, it’s time to rush to the doctor. Warning signs may include loss of appetite, jaundice, and swelling. A physical sign, along with the weaning sign, is common. If the warning signs are not present, one can visit the doctor.
Doctors take the history and will ask about the person’s symptoms, followed by a physical examination. Then they do some tests to suggest the cause of the pain. They also ask about particular activities that relieve or worsen the pain.
Eating habits matter greatly, as lactose intolerance is common in Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome. Any previous surgery involving the abdomen or a family history of this syndrome is also critical.
Doctors do specific tests, including urinalysis, a complete blood cell count, and blood tests evaluating the liver, kidneys, and pancreas functioning.
Diagnosis of Chronic Function Abdominal Pain
The diagnosis of Chronic Functional Abdominal Pain involves a multiple series of diagnostic tests that do not cost an arm and a leg. These tests may include X- rays, ultrasound imaging, CT scans, endoscopy, and blood tests or urine tests.
Unfortunately, these tests may not identify the actual cause of pain for patients with Chronic Function Abdominal Pain.
If a person has a high fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and blood in the stool, and he keeps awake during the night, he needs immediate doctors’ help.
A pain diary that records symptoms and possible triggers that causes flare symptoms can be helpful to keep. The information will help identify inappropriate times and causes of worsened symptoms.
How to Treat Chronic Function Abdominal Pain?
Chronic Functional Abdominal pain treatment aims to help the patient control the pain so he can live his daily life. The treatment majorly depends upon the cause and the symptoms.
Although no specific treatment exists to cure it, it is not a piece of cake. Particular measures are available to manage the pain.
The brain has a significant role in treating Chronic Function Abdominal Pain. The support of family and friends and trust is required between the patient and the doctor.
The doctor encourages the patient to participate in daily activities and perform some tests. Hence, the patient controls the symptoms rather than the symptoms managing life activities.
It aims to help people return to their regular, painless daily routine. Treatment is a combination of various strategies, and multiple doctors having multiple follow-ups may help to provide a way out of this difficulty. The patient needs to see eye to eye with the doctor.
A survey done in the US reported that changes in the diet in the patients helped to ease gastrointestinal problems. Doctors also emphasize that stress, anxiety, or depression may trigger the pain and the patient needs to be relaxed.
Final Call
Chronic Function Abdominal Pain is a frequent abdominal pain with a loss of daily activities. Therefore, a supportive or empathetic environment and other treatments are mandatory to manage the pain in patients with Chronic Function Abdominal Pain.
Psychological treatment, pharmacotherapy, and antidepressants aid in relieving this pain. If you have other queries or want to share an experience with us, we are just a comment away! Visit Eve Pacific Health to learn more.
